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Bruchids (seed beetles) and Chrysomelids (leaf beetles) are an important and fascinating group. There are 15 species of Bruchids and 216 species of Chrysomelids in Britain and Ireland. This atlas maps their distribution. For each species there is an account of habitat, world distribution, host plants and life cycle, together with information on parasitoids, parasites and predators
By way of introduction, the author gives a comprehensive overview of their classification and biology. There are chapters on collecting adults, on studying larvae and pupae, on adult behaviour, and on feeding ecology. Two chapters outline the beetles' economic importance as pests (e.g. lily beetle, heather beetle, rosemary beetle) and in biological control. Additional chapters discuss their scientific importance in assessing environmental change and their value as subjects for conservation.
About the author:
Mike Cox completed his doctoral study of the taxonomy and biology of Chrysomelids at the University of Newcastle in 1976. Since that time he has published numerous papers on their biology and identification, based at the Natural History Museum in London. He is Britain's chief expert on the group, and here he brings his great learning to illuminate the distributional data collected by volunteer recorders.
